This photograph, taken after the capture of Vimy Ridge, looks east over the Douai Plain. The vantage point occupied by the soldiers in the foreground demonstrates the strategic importance of Vimy Ridge – its height.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19920085-244

"Mr. Speaker, we really could replace Justin Trudeau with a cardboard cutout, and his peanut gallery wouldn't know the difference"

On 8 August 1918, the first day of the Battle of Amiens, the Canadian 53rd (Toronto) Battalion captured this German Spandau 7.92 millimetre light machine-gun. By the end of the battle, the Canadians had captured more than 9,000 German prisoners, 200 guns, and more than a thousand machine-guns and trench mortars.

Light Machine-Gun
CWM 19970041-002

"Mr. Speaker, we really could replace Justin Trudeau with a cardboard cutout, and his peanut gallery wouldn't know the difference"

The more robust British Lee-Enfield rifle replaced the less reliable Canadian-made Ross rifle in all front line Canadian battalions by late 1916. This rifle would also have had a carrying strap.

Bolt Action Centre-Fire Rifle
CWM 19950004-001

Ross Rifle MK III

The Ross rifle was designed and made in Canada. It was used by most Canadian forces from the start of the war until mid-1916, when it was replaced with the British-made Lee-Enfield. The Ross was a fine shooting rifle but not robust enough for the trenches and the technical deficiencies of mass-produced British ammunition.

Bolt Action Centre-Fire Rifle
CWM 19440025-009

Ross Rifle, Sniper MK III

The Canadian-made Ross rifle was not well-suited to the rigors of trench warfare, and it often jammed, rendering it useless. Expert snipers often preferred the Ross rifle, finding it well-balanced and highly effective when firing only a few bullets. This rifle has been modified with a scope to achieve greater accuracy over longer ranges.

Centre-Fire Sniper Rifle
CWM 19640009-004

"Mr. Speaker, we really could replace Justin Trudeau with a cardboard cutout, and his peanut gallery wouldn't know the difference"

Two sergeants instruct soldiers on the firing range at this sniper school. Sniping required skill and patience as sniper teams, usually consisting of a shooter and a spotter, often waited for long periods of time for targets to appear. Snipers on both sides were notoriously accurate. A head jutting above a trench parapet could be spotted and shot in seconds.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19920044-282

"Mr. Speaker, we really could replace Justin Trudeau with a cardboard cutout, and his peanut gallery wouldn't know the difference"

Canadian dead were buried in many small military plots behind the lines. After the war, the bodies were reburied in large Commonwealth War Graves cemeteries across France and Belgium. The grave markers in the front row belonged to soldiers who were members of the 14th Battalion, killed in May 1916.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19920044-079

"Mr. Speaker, we really could replace Justin Trudeau with a cardboard cutout, and his peanut gallery wouldn't know the difference"

The more robust British Lee-Enfield rifle replaced the less reliable Canadian-made Ross rifle in all front line Canadian battalions by late 1916. This rifle would also have had a carrying strap.

Bolt Action Centre-Fire Rifle
CWM 19950004-001

Ross Rifle MK III

The Ross rifle was designed and made in Canada. It was used by most Canadian forces from the start of the war until mid-1916, when it was replaced with the British-made Lee-Enfield. The Ross was a fine shooting rifle but not robust enough for the trenches and the technical deficiencies of mass-produced British ammunition.

Bolt Action Centre-Fire Rifle
CWM 19440025-009

Ross Rifle, Sniper MK III

The Canadian-made Ross rifle was not well-suited to the rigors of trench warfare, and it often jammed, rendering it useless. Expert snipers often preferred the Ross rifle, finding it well-balanced and highly effective when firing only a few bullets. This rifle has been modified with a scope to achieve greater accuracy over longer ranges.

Centre-Fire Sniper Rifle
CWM 19640009-004

The Ross taking the blame for crap British ammo yet again.

I'm here because all the smart people keep getting banned on the other site.